eNews Archive 2014

On August 19, Steve Winberg, program manager at Battelle, visited Penn State to meet with faculty and discuss potential funding opportunities. Battelle is a nonprofit research and development organization with experience in technology development, commercialization of new products, and management of government research.

Last week, delegates from Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) in South Korea visited Penn State to hold a second workshop to explore research collaborations in fields such as education, engineering, and information sciences and technology.

Seven Penn State students recently returned from the Dalian University of Technology (DUT) in China as part of a six-week study abroad program to generate interest among junior and senior undergraduate students in business, economics, and policy as related to energy and the environment. During the program, students gained an understanding of how China, which has the second largest economy in the world, is dealing energy and environmental challenges caused by the growth of the Chinese economy.

Sometimes it takes an external perspective to remind us of our strengths. That’s what happened when I sat down to talk to Mort Webster, associate professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering, who recently came to Penn State from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He couldn’t say enough good things about Penn State’s diverse expertise and strong support for interdisciplinary research.

Chunshan Song, director of the EMS Energy Institute and Distinguished Professor of fuel science and chemical engineering was on sabbatical at the Dalian University of Technology (DUT) in China from June 30, 2013 through July 1, 2014. The EMS Energy Institute welcomed him back last week.

During his sabbatical, Song worked closely with faculty at DUT on research in the areas of clean fuels and catalysis, and carbon dioxide capture. Over the course of the year, he published 13 journal articles in several highly respected publications.

Aditi Khadilkar, a doctoral student in energy and mineral engineering, received the Outstanding Presentation Award at the 6th International Freiberg Conference on IGCC & XtL Technologies. Her paper, “Ash Agglomeration in Fluidized Bed Gasification Systems: Modeling and Experimental Studies,” was presented during the technical conference in Germany from May 19-22, 2014. Khadilkar’s advisor is Sarma Pisupati, associate professor of energy and mineral engineering.

Monty Alger, former senior vice president of research and development (R&D) at Myriant Corp. in Woburn, Mass., has been selected as the inaugural director of the Institute for Natural Gas Research (INGaR) at Penn State.